“Lifeline” roads contract awarded
A contract to upgrade one of the most rural roads in the Highlands – the A861 at Drynie Hill on the Kinlochmoidart to Acharacle road - has been awarded to Wills Bros Ltd. of County Mayo in Ireland. The works, which will cost in the order of £900,000, have attracted grant assistance support from the European Regional Development Fund in recognition of their “lifeline” importance to the local community. The works will commence early in the New Year and continue until late spring 2012.
The scheme to widen and improve the narrow, tortuous single track and passing place road at Drynie Hill over a length of 1.5 km will provide a 5.5m wide two track carriageway in keeping with other widened sections of the A861 and will improve access to Moidart and Ardnamurchan, particularly for large heavy goods vehicles, buses and touring coaches.
The project is located in the scenic coastal area of West Lochaber and the scheme has been carefully designed to blend in with the sensitive local environment and the cultural heritage of the area. A row of historic Western Red Cedars which have reached the end of their life are to be carefully felled and set aside for use by local sawmills who are interested in the quality of the timber. These Red Cedars, known locally as the Centenary trees, apparently relate to the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria and the trees certainly appear of that age. Included in the works as part of the landscaping is a planting programme incorporating 60 new Western Red Cedars. These trees will be planted in the Diamond Jubilee year of Queen Elizabeth II. These new trees may then be known as the Jubilee trees and an interpretive plaque is to be incorporated in the new lay-by at the top of the hill with details of these trees.
Throughout the period of the contract and to allow the contractor to carry out these works including blasting adjacent to the existing road, a series of temporary road closures have been put in place. These closures shall take place each week at the following times and dates;
i) Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Friday:
from 9 January, 2012 until 4 April 2012
between the hours of 10 am - 12:25 pm and 1:10 pm – 3.30 pm.
The traffic will be stopped up at Kinacarra (Kinlochmoidart) for southbound vehicles, and at the double track road at Captain Robertson's Cairn, at the top of Drynie Hill, for northbound vehicles. Local vehicular access will be permitted as far as Kinlochmoidart Bridge from Glenuig during the closure. Alternative routes for traffic will be via Ardgour/Drumsallie and vice versa although there is a height restriction of 12 feet on the Drumsallie Rail Bridge. These temporary closures and local diversions will be signposted and the Council apologises for any inconvenience caused.
The contract allows for the use of sub-contractors and it is anticipated that some local contractors will be used in the contract.
Councillor Michael Foxley, Leader of the Council’s Administration and a local member for the area, said he was pleased that the former Highland Regional Council had shown the foresight to purchase the land for the upgrade and that the ERDF had responded to repeated requests to help fund the lifeline roads project.
He said: “I am delighted that these road works are taking place. Drynie Hill presents a severe challenge and bottleneck for all motorists and visitors to Acharacle and the Ardnamurchan peninsula and this will improve access and make their journey a safer and more pleasant experience.”
Hugh MacPherson Chairman of Ardnamurchan Community Council said this upgrade will provide a major boost for the community in the area who have had to negotiate this notorious sub-standard section of road for many long years.
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